


It's never too late to die

by orphan_account



Series: It's never too late to die [1]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Batman - All Media Types, Batman Begins (2005)
Genre: Apocalypse, Death, Destruction, Everyone Has Issues, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Ghosts, Gotham City - Freeform, Issues, M/M, Monsters, Multiple Pairings, bonding through danger, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-13
Updated: 2014-02-08
Packaged: 2018-01-04 12:29:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1081030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You have seven days..."</p><p>It's a lure, it's a curse, for the strong of heart to wander into a trap, a trap set out for them to find the key, seven chances, seven times and seven tests.</p><p>The otherworlds are searching for the key to the lifeblood of the universe, the one that flows with luck and life and beauty despite the ugliness and raw ferocity hidden in all things. </p><p>Lured into a strange underground cavern, Batman, Joker, Harley, Ivy, Crane, Rachel and Harvey Dent must escape together, for better or for worse, for there is only-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day Zero

The cracks and cavaties are well hidden on the blue planet with it's bustling cities and wonderous nature, but this world is lucky. Other worlds, hidden and denied the sweet milk dripping from luck's bosom are dark and angry and full of monsters and creatures that long for something, anything that could bring their worlds out of misery.

So they started to search, and where they went, they unkbowing left parts of themselves behind, otherworlds, tunnels and tracks leading to even darker places of the cosmos, waiting and waitng to see if the one they want is there, has wandered from their comfortable homes into this place of dark and terrible unknowns.

They crave blood and they crave darkness and the one they are searching for has the key, the key that would open the doors to their shut off and tired homelands to finally open up to the light. And so they search.

* * *

 

 

With news from an anonmyous tip, he hears that a bomb is placed on the Gotham metro that is set to blow, the Bat hides in a luggage compartment. Hundreds of innocent people board the metro every day. If this bomb goes off at any moment, the loss would be devastating. Scanning the area, Bruce searches for the bomb but something else catches his attention. A flickr of purple and the scent of greasepaint. Gritting his teeth, the Bat follows the clown, aiming on catching him before anything happens. ---- Really, the Joker taking the last metro home? Piti-ful

But surveying the machine that has to take thousands of dull, drone-like humans throughout each boring and meaningless day has it's merits. Sending out an anonmyous tip to the police is easy, way too easy. They should really try harder to make their systems better. He should blow this place up, but that is waay to predictable. Just like how he knows the bat would be here, looking for the, hehe, 'bomb.' It hurts, truly, for the Bat to come running for a bomb, but not responding to any of the invitations he sent? Outright rejection would have been better!

"Joker." The man clad in purples and greens spins around, clasping his hands together in a gleeful clap. "Batssss!" The clown croons, estatic to see his arch-nemesis answering the call at last.

"Bats! How nice to see you-oompf!" He is cut out with a kevlar punch to his face and a hand fisting in the shirt.

"What are you"-punch-"Doing here?"  
Batman growls. He needs to finish his business with the madman, fast. Dump the bastard at Arkham and get searching.

"Well, it might have something to do with a littl-e-tick tock tick tock! Ahahaha!" The Joker flails around, arms and legs swinging, a strange childlike gesture on the grown man.

"Where is the bomb." Batman knows that if the Joker dosen't tell- "There is no bomb, Battykins!" A hoot of sharp, unpleasant laughter cut off Batman's thought process. "You-" Batman is cut off again by a loud scream in the back of the metro. --------- "You just had to wait for me." Harley pouts. Pammy is too nice to her. The botanist smiles, sea-green eyes glittering. "I can't have you out there all alone, can I?" Pam can't see anything good happening to a pretty girl like Harley in a city like Gotham, even if Harley is ferociously good with self-defense. She is too easily played or her to be on her own tonight. ---------

The roaring Metro stops at another stop.

“Ladies first.” Rachel grins as Harvey lets himself in. The relationship they have is...complicated at best, but moments like these, where they let everything go and a heavy weight lifts off her shoulders and they smile and laugh and forgets everything.

Sometimes, Rachel feels like she lives for moments like these.

There are already two others in the compartment. Two women. The lawyers of the city sat opposite to them, grinning like fools in love.

In this moment of silence, it seems that strangers would remain as strangers when it happened.

It is something that Harvey has never seen before. Leaping from his seat, he grabs Rachel, and the red-haired woman shoves the girl behind her.

“Harls, watch out.” The Doctor nods, falling into defensive stance. The pile of blood and meat fell out of the roof of the still moving tube onto the floor of the metro.

Pushing blood red locks away from her eyes, Pam surveys the dead lump on the floor, and the man and woman behind it.

The it starts to move, so fast that none of them could have stopped it, and latches onto Harley, who fights back, tooth and nail, with Pam and two others attempting to pull it off her.

Rachel and Harvey screams when that thing moves, completely out of the blue, probably breaking several rules of physics in the meantime. Rushing over to help the trapped woman and her companion, They attack it as hard as they could, as the red-head hacks away at it with a small knife.

“What is this thing!” Harvey yells after a tentacle he pulls so hard on falls back into it’s place. “I DON’T KNOW!” Rachel calls back, almost panicking. They have both seen plenty of hardships in life, but this thing is like nothing they have seen before, so they just try and help, mind blank apart from the movement of blood and muscles.

“GET IT OFF ME!” Harley roars, blood and sweat falling onto her face. Kicking the beast as hard as she could, the doctor did not notice the arrival of a black clad man and his purple companion.

 

Hearing the screams, Batman runs to it’s source and the Joker follows, grumbling about Bats being way too fickle with his attention.

“What the hell is that thing?!” The Joker huffs as the creature slides off the woman.

“Doc?”

“J?”

“You two know each other?” Batman asks, concerned. If the Joker considers this girl a friend, then she could be a danger. Or in danger.

“Joker.” Rachel takes a step back and Harvey gulps. They saw the man on T.V. How dangerous he is.

“Run!” Pamela screams at the stunned group. The walls leaks, a red substance suspiciously like blood and it begins to eat away at the compartment.  
Every one of them took flight, not caring about whose company they are in as the metro comes to a halt and the walls start to collapse.


	2. Day Zero-part II

The Group ran and ran, along the crumbling walls, as far away from the crumbling destruction as possible. Batman dodges the debris, and pushes others away from them, from the rock and metal that can crush their soft, human bodies so easily.

The Joker flits and leaps, with no real order, like the wild, predatory creature he is. More than once Batman considered just ignoring the purple figure, but one look at Joker and his bare face, paint washed away by water leading out of burst pipes make him rethink and push the clown out of the way when a paticularly large piece of metro station seems to almost fall on him.

"Thanks Bats!" Joker calls out gleefully, and Batman moves forward to help Harvey and Rachel, who are breathing heavily but is determined to run forward, to safety. He tries to help the two others to, but the women looks like they have their situation under control, so he allows himself to be distracted by droplets of water clinging to the Joker's lips-

"Stop!"

The group stops abruptly, turning around to see the source of the voice. Jonathan Crane's face stares out at them, pale against grime and blood and usually neat hair rumpled and messy.

"Batman."

"Crane."

"Scary!!" Scarecrow rolls his eyes as the Joker squeals and Jumps up, hugging the man, mad delight in jade eyes. "Joker." Batman feels a slight twang in his stomach. 

"What is going on here?" Harley asks. Seeing her old employer in an embrace with one of her patients is quite...disconcerting. Pam narrows her eyes and pulls hard on Harley's arm, dragging her behind her and Rachel and Harvey catches up on their breaths, heavy against the tense silence in the abandoned metro. The blood has stopped leaking, but a slight humming can be heard in the air.

"There i-is seven days. Left." Crane stutters out against the Joker's tight grip, and it makes Batman wants to punch his face in. Like how he sometimes wants to punch Harv-

"Seven days left for what." Batman commands. This strange fury he feels....

"Hey Bats! You're scaring scary!" The Joker croons, arms still wrapped around Crane like an octopus, giggling like some stupid schoolgirl.

"I don't get scared, clown." He tries to push the Joker off him and the Jester pouts.

"Aww! Don't go scary!" He is whining like a child.

"There is only." Crane turns to Batman and he listens, trying hard to ignore the urge to pull the Joker off the Scarecrow. "..Seven days left." Crane continues, pushing strands of greasy hair out of his eyes. 

"Left from WHAT." Batman growls, louder and much more gruffly, gloved hands clenching into hard fists. If only he could break Crane's nose right now...

"We, us, everyone. Needs to get out of here. Close the gap."

Crane stops talking and takes out a recorder pen.

"You have ten days to close the breach." A deep voice that promises endless pain and torture and armour with spikes rumbles from the pen. Silence falls upon the small party. Apart from the Joker whispering and giggling nonsense.

"If you cannot then your world...will be DESTROYED!"

"What is this-" Harvey steps ahead. The shaking of the walls interrupts him and they start to sprint away, the blood and what looks like thousands upon thousands of large cockroaches drop from the cracks and dark fissures, an unpleasant stink coating and clinging onto everything.  
The Joker grabs hold of Jonathan's hand and cackles loudly, lighting a match and throwing it at the writhing bugs. They lit up a trail of fire. Batman gapes, and he can see Scarecrow, Harvey, Rachel and the two women staring at the unexpected act.

"What?! I just save your asses!" The Joker pouts at the company of people. 

Batman shakes his head in disbelief. "Just go."

"Follow me." Crane holds on to the Joker's hand and leads them into a small, dark hallway that smelt of blood and decay. Drops of water drips into a little stream of damp, black water.

"Nice place." The Joker says lightly and ignores the glare Crane gives him.

"What do we do?!" Rachel sounds desperate. She is so desperate. Being trapped in a metro station, with Bruce, Harvey and Dangerous criminals and perfect strangers.

"Well." The Joker shrugs and Batman tenses. If the criminal does anything to harm Rachel-"The world's gonna end in seven days, so I propose a, uhm, org-ow!" Crane slaps him upside his head.

"Shut it, clown."

"We have to get the hell out of here and close whatever this 'breach' is." Pam grounds out, face shrouded with distrust.

"Just get some rest first. It'll be the fourth day tomorrow."

Batman moves as far away from Crane and the Joker as possible, but blocks them from Harvey and Rachel-and why are they sleeping so near each other?! Gritting his teeth, Batman settles next to Harvey, and watches the figures of this strange team fall to sleep one by one, until exhaustion takes him away to the land of dreams as well.


	3. Day Zero-Night

'Click.....click...click..."

The Joker is the one who wakes first.

'Tap...tap...tap..."

The Clown prince of Crime freezes. The clicking noise is hard to ignore, against the backdrop of silence and soft snores. Just like the cave- No need to think about the cave in the middle of the night, anyways, his memories are too fuzzy to recall-  
Looking around, all the other people seem to be asleep. He is dragged into this 'save the world' bullshit quite unwillingly, heh, of course. In his humble opinion the world can fuck itself, but Jonny doesn't want to die and Batsy doesn't want everything else to die, and so Jokey has to go along with the two bastards on this little mission.

And the Doctor, little Ms Quinzel, who is so sweet and innocent. Haha. And her friend who is convinced he will corrupt her, oh yes. But all he really needs is the little Doc to shut up, or help him out of Arkham-

"Click..click...click!"

The noise disrupts the Joker's thinking, making the Harlequin of hate turn on his heels sharply, switchblade in gloved hands. None of the others, not even Batman, with his constant vigilance is awake. The Joker snorts. Even Bats need his break, doesn't he.

Tiptoeing to the source of the noise, he stops, turning around at the 'thump!' he hears behind his back. A severed arm wearing what looks like a grey suit lie on the concrete, thick red blood spurting out and leaking into crevices, and drops of marrow seeping out of broken bone. A nice sight to behold. Joker steps forwards, deliberately onto the arm. If whoever did this think that that can scare him, then they are dead-dead wrong, ehehe!

Moving forwards, all the Joker can see is black, and more black. Nothing else, apart from a slight, almost eerie red glow coming from the walls.

A light breeze strokes through the Joker's hair, and everything feels cold, so cold.

"Hell-o! Anyone there?!" He calls out to the beginning of another tunnel. How weird, that nobody else woke from all the noise.

A flash of white passes him, and the Joker almost jumps, but turns away and continues down the dim tunnel. Should've searched for a flashlight, but he is not one for, uh, any planning.

"Click, click, CLICK!!"

The Joker's eyes widen at the sight before him. What appears to be a woman with no arms wrapped in bloody bandages, moving slowly, very slowly at him. One step, two steps. It emits a harsh, croaking noise, and more blood and something that looks like oily tar drips through the bandages.

"Hi?" He always appreciates his humour, but seeing the creature turn towards him makes him rethink even saying anything.

Running hard and fast, the Joker slams into the back wall of the tunnel. The walls are made of old, old bricks that should not have even graced the rest of the modern infrastructure.  
Then the tunnel ends and he turns around and the creature is moving much faster than it should, disappearing one moment and appearing, much closer at the next moment.

Nearing his face, the creature stinks a familiar smell of blood and decay. The Joker pushes against the back wall. If he can knife the creature-

It's face zips open, revealing sharp teeth and roars, and he screams because dammit-why should he not scream.

"AAAHHHHHH!!!!!"


	4. Day Zero-Night II

"AAAHHHH!!!"

Batman bolts up at the sound of the yell. It is definitely the Joker's.  
Rachel and Harvey grips tightly onto each other in fear. "Oh God." Rachel whispers. "What is that?!"

"I don't know." Harley whispers back at the brunette, and Pam is already up on her feet, chasing after Batman and Crane, who is running to the source of the scream.

When he hears the call, Bruce ignores all his fears that prolonged stay in deep, dark tunnels bring. If the Joker dies, it's on him. He protects them, all of them, even the murderous psychopaths because he protects Gotham. He ignores the small whisperings that it's not just that- that there is something more you complete-

When they finally reach the end of the bone chilling tunnel, they find the Joker, slumped over, concussed or unconscious over a pile of sticky red bandages.

"Joker. Joker!" Batman shakes the Joker and the others watch, nervously. Any other time Harvey would hope that the terrorist would just go and die, but at a time like this-

"...mmpf.." The Joker wakes and Harley lets go of a breath that she has no idea she is holding for her patient.

"What happened?" Crane shoves away the Batman and rushes to pull the Joker up. His ankle bends at an awkward angle.

 

"There was this...mummy thing, ya know?" The Joker jumps up and sways from side to side, swatting Crane's hand away-It makes some kind of triumph swell up inside him and Batman feels-

Rachel's scream draws their attention.  
\-----

When she loses the group, Rachel curses herself for her curiosity, for just going for a small moment to check out a side tunnel that they have all missed and maybe take a leak, but oh God the sight in front of her-

A writhe of blood and muscle and tar, moving painfully slow and Rachel knows that she could move and run away but her legs just refuse to move, and she backs up against the wall, breathing hard, broken pieces of ceramic digging into the sole of her shoes-and

The red creature, small pieces of bandages still clinging to slick red strands of muscle and Rachel tries to disappear on her spot when sick smelling black goo starts to leak out from beneath white bandages.

The thing looks like it has been injured, moving slowly and with large gapes and slashes in it's body that is bleeding profusely. 

It turns it's face to her and Rachel suppresses a scream, because it's face is so horrifying-

"W-what are you-"

And then it opens it's mouth, large and wide and full of sharp teeth and it's chest opens to connect to the mouth, teeth glistening with blood and dirt and she lets out a scream oh God she is going to die it is going to eat her she is going to die she is going to die-

"RACHEL!"

The thing twists it's neck and body, tendons and meat and ligaments elongating and stretching to face Harvey, facing it a trying be brave, so brave as he holds a piece of the broken pipe line, the rest of the company following behind him, Jonathan dragging the Joker along because they can't afford to have anyone dying in this.

"It's that thing from before!" The Joker yells and Batman grips tightly. The creature is growing larger and larger, and if the Joker survived this then he is very lucky and a skilled fighter, but Rachel and Harvey-no, they are different and they can't fight it, not alone-

Slice! 

Heads turn away from the creature to Harley, who wields another piece of broken drain pipe and she heaves, staring at the red it and Pam whispers "It'll be all right" and pulls out a knife, ready to fight.

"What the hell is that thing?!"

Pam puts a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever it is, it's not from our world." Crane nods, glancing at the creature. "Wait-"

The red monster screams.

Rachel takes that opportunity, and sprints away from it, pulling Harvey along with her, the others starts to run as well, as far away as possible.

Batman throws the Joker over his shoulder and runs. If the clown can't run fast, then he is dead meat, no matter how much he insists that there is no problem.

"It's catching up!" Crane yells from the back of the group. They reach back to the centre station where Crane has previously led them, and the thing screeches again.

"Dammit I can't keep hold of him." Batman growls. The Joker slides down and hits the floor. The creature looms over him.

"Joker!" Crane yells, and Batman thinks that he yelled too, but can't be too sure, in his rush to reach the Joker again.

The thing makes a sound strangely similar to a whimper over the unconscious form of the Joker as it raises to attack him.

"NO!" They can't be sure who made the sound, as Rachel and Harvey shields their eyes and Harley clamps her hand to her mouth. Pam remains expressionless, but tightens her fists. 

"AARGH!"

The creature roars and leans down to attack, but seem to be unable to get out of the tunnel. It slams, again and again, and Crane and Batman takes the chance to drag the Joker away from the creature, who whimpers and disappears into ash.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oww.." The Joker feels around in the dark until his eyes got used to the dim red glow. Batman relaxes slightly.

"You passed out."

"Gee, thanks Bats. Where is that red thingie?" He looks around. Crane places a hand on his shoulder, and Batman wants to pull it off-

"Well, It died." Crane says, and his baby blue eyes is on the Joker and the clown actually smiles Batman hasn't seen him smile before he wants to pluck Crane's eyes out-

Rachel tugging on his cape and whispering a desperate "What can we do?!" Brings him out of his stupor.

"I say..." Harley pipes up. All eyes turn to her. She gulps, having never seen something like this before. A once in a lifetime journey. The only regret she has is not saying goodbye to her parents before leaving. Now she may never have the chance.

"I say we split up. There are still three tunnels, barring the one with the dead end. There is a better chance that one...group finds the...breach if we go out of this chamber and into the tunnels."

Harvey nods in agreement. "Right, so-"

"I'm going with..." Rachel looks at the two other women. It hurts to part with Bruce and Harvey, but she...she wants to show them that she can take care of herself and not end up needing to be saved like in the other tunnel.

"Rachel-" Harvey calls, eyes widening, and Batman steps forwards, as if to stop her from moving. She shakes her head at them and moves nearer the strangers.

"Harley." "Pamela." Rachel nods. "Right." 

"So!" Harley holds on the Rachel's hand. "We're going first." The three women heads off, to the nearest chamber. A rock door slams down behind them, a solemn warning that there is no return.

Batman starts to go towards the middle tunnel, not expecting Crane to follow him but he did. And feel a slight disappointment when the Joker stays behind.  
The door closes behind him, and not giving a glance to Crane, who clutches onto a spray bottle that is no doubt filled with the fear toxin, he walks on.

"So, Har-vey~" The Joker leans forward. "Looks like it's jus-t us now!"  
Harvey nods and swallows. With Rachel and Batman gone, looks like the only option there is, is to follow the Joker, or stay behind.  
The loud slam of the stone door closes off any options Harvey has, and he does nothing except to follow the purple figure in front of him.


	6. Chapter 6

Days One, two, three, and four - Harvey & Joker

"Sooo....Harv!" The limping man turns around and grins at the District Attorney. Harvey pulls his suit jacket around a shivering body. The bone chilling cold seeps into his bones, but the Joker doesn't seem affected by it. 

"Yes?” Harvey brushes back his hair and tries to walk as slowly as possible, to preserve his energy. Trying to not let the Joker sense his nervousness, he stops when the criminal laughs and pats him on the back.

"Ya think there is anything wrong with this place?" The Joker asks, and stops talking when he finishes, letting Harvey and himself be immersed in the silence of the track. Harvey has a sudden thought of lighting a fire to help him and the Joker see in the dark.

A sudden tap-tap sound catches Harvey unaware, and a sudden breath of panic is caught in his throat when he feels a hand clamp around his shoulder.

"T-there is someone else in-in here." He chokes out, and turns his head, slowly but the seconds feel like hours and the Joker stops as well, and when he turns and sees a dried, white hand curled around his Jacket, leading to whatever it is in the dark, Harvey's throat feels constricted and an itching, tingling fear spreads out through his scalp. Every hair on the back of Harvey's neck stands up. His eyes is wide and unblinking, but Harvey can't bring himself to look behind or turn around to see what is behind him.

The Joker sees the hand as well, and he curses under his breath. Really, there is an element of excitement of being trapped here, but....the Joker hates being out of the loop, really. 

Joker takes out the gun tucked in his belt and shoots at the space behind Dent's shoulder, and whatever that is lets out a scream and the dried hand disappears. Ten bullets, nine left.

Harvey leans against the wall, hoping that the coolness against his sweating back can calm himself down. The Joker tucks his gun back where it came from, and takes out his switchblade. 

"W-what are you going to do?!" Harvey asks. He would be lying if he said that he is not scared of someone like the Joker, like most people in Gotham is. Scared, and hateful.

The Joker grins, baring his (sharp, animalistic) teeth but Harvey doesn't step back, because whatever is in the darkness behind him is worse. At least if the Joker kills him, it would be quick.

"Now, now, Har-v. Don'-t be too, uh, scare-d." He licks his scars and presses the switchblade against the wall besides Harvey's left ear.

Harvey breathes and closes his eyes as he feels the clown's breath against his face and hears his heart pound and thinks of Rachel. Her face flashes behind closed lids He is going to die he is going to die he is going to-

The blood is not spilled and slowly, Harvey Dent opens his eyes and sees the Joker carving something into the wall. A guide of some sort. He lets out a breath.

"I thought that you don't-" Harvey asks. The Joker is uncomfortably close, but at least he is not killing him. Yet.   
"Plan?" The Joker faces him when he finishes. Harvey gulps and nods, and the Joker laughs, a yipping, high-pitched laughter that sends shivers down his spine.

"It's not, ah, planning." He waves the switchblade. Harv is too high-strung, ehehe. They keep walking. After who knows how long, the tunnel never ends. 

After what feels like hours, Harvey finally gives in to his aching legs and leans against a wall. "Just take a break." The Joker laughs and leans against the wall as well. That guy is stronger than most people, even with a sprained ankle. Just like Batman. Now that he is not busy walking, his thoughts float to Rachel. Is she safe?

Stretching a little, Harvey yawns and turns around and his blood runs cold.

"Look!" He whispers furiously to the Joker. "What is this." The Joker looks at where Harvey points.

"Shit." He pulls out his gun. "It looks like the mark I made."


	7. Days One, two, three, and four - Harvey & Joker (part II)

Harvey stumbles backwards, staring at the mark with wide eyes. The smiley face carved into the wall stares out at him, soulless and damning.

"We-we are going in _circles_ -” Harvey forces out. He tries to be strong, but unlike the others, he is just a normal person. A man who tries to find something normal in a situation like this-

Seeing the mark again is like the last straw in the camel's back.

Harvey slides to the bottom of the wall. "Circles..." He murmurs, eyes wide and unfocused. The Joker pulls him up. "Jeez, Harv. Just take a walk again. I saw some smaller tracks by the main tunnel, soo..."

Harvey snaps up, exhaustion in his eyes but also hope, but the heaviness on his back makes it hard to stand up properbly.

They walk through the tunnel again. Harvey timed his watch. Half an hour later, they end up back where they started. The Joker's goddamn signal.

"What is this..?" Harvey's face is a chalky shade of white. The Joker laughs, like he always does. Inappropriate timing.

"Wait." The Joker frowns at the hunching form of Harvey Dent. The lawyer leans against the wall, a metallic grey colouring his face.

Picking up a throwing knife, the Joker throws it and it embeds into the space behind Dent. The dried hand they saw before appears, and the creature screeches again, before jumping off Dent's back. He slides down onto the floor, and clutches the creature by it's neck.

"Die you Bastard!!" Harvey roars, seeing red. Because of this thing he may never see Rachel again. He can still feel the painful heaviness on his back.

"Don't **move**!" The Joker aims at the thing and shoots. It flies of Dent, and sticks onto the wall behind the Joker, it's hair growing longer and choking him.

"Ugh-"

Harvey jumps up and pulls on it's hair, which starts choking him as well. His breath is caught in his throat and his pupils begin to dilate. Is he going to die? How strange, the District Attorney of Gotham City and it's most notorious criminal, dying together in an underground tunnel. What would Gotham think when they find their bodies tangled together? What would Rachel think? Surely she would mourn him....

With such thoughts, Harvey passed into the world of unconsciousness. "Dammit!" The Joker swears. It seemed to preoccupied with Dent to focus on him.

It cups Dent's face with a dried, dead hand, stroking the butt-chin thoughtfully. The Joker aims at the creature and shoots at the knife embedded into it's neck. It explodes with a shrill scream, and fades into faint, black dust.

"Damn." He whispers. "Lucky I brought some of my exploding knives." He counts. One, two and three. And seven bullets left. Not good. Not good at all.

Lying down next to Dent, he notices that is says 7:09pm. Day one. With the sheer exhaustion of the last two days, the Joker falls into a deep，dreamless sleep.  
\---------------

When Harvey shakes the Joker awake it was 12:01am, Day two.

"Wake up!" Harvey whispers furiously. The Joker blinks blearily. "Ugh...what the hell?" He props himself up by his elbows.

"I need to piss!" Harvey says under his breath. "I figured that it would be better if we both went. Anything can happen if we separate."

Harvey drags the half-asleep Joker with him into a corner. The heavy smell wakes him up soon enough.

“Aw, shit, I need to piss as well." The Joker complains. The two men try their best not to look at each other.


	8. Days One, two, three, and four - Harvey & Joker (part III)

Day two, 12:19am.

"I suppose we should keep going now." Harvey suggested. Since when did he start to refer to them as 'we'? Harvey asks himself. With all the people the Joker has killed, he should hate him. But he can't. Not since when the guy saved his life from that creature.

The silence is hard to break. After almost a day without food, Harvey is tired and hungry. But at least there is still water, dripping down from the stone ceiling and tasting strange and foul, but it's better than dying of thirst.

"What do ya think that was?" The Joker asks him when they finally stop for a break, to fill up on water. Harvey checks his timer watch and sets a new alarm. Day two, 1:21am.

"What was?" Harvey asks, breathless. The light of his wristwatch is faint, but it provides something he desperately needs. Hope, and a reminder of Rachel.

"That...thing?" He asks and Harvey shudders. "I don't know, but..."  
A loud crack! catches their attention. They swivel around and sees an amazing but horrifying sight, like the apocalypse itself is crawling on many small, evil legs towards them.

several large, blob shaped monsters craw towards them, about the speed of a walking human, but the truly horrifying thing is the four or so quadrupeds sucking onto the cream coloured, wobbling side of the creature, and the giant monster screams as the thin, rib-creatures bite on it with their sharp, black teeth.

"RUN!" The Joker yells and Harvey is shocked out of his silence and they starts to run. But no matter how fast they run, they are followed, not to closely and not to far away from them.

Noticing a hole in the wall from his angle, Harvey rips a piece of cloth off his Jacket and signals to Joker to do the same.  
The creatures are obviously simple, chasing after the pieces of cloth, yipping and whining like kicked dogs.

"Crawl in there." Harvey says, slightly amazed that he is ordering the Joker around. The Joker flips him off and Harvey gulps, and crawls in after the man. They both look like hobos from Gotham's streets and corners. He is even getting some scruff around his face. By the time they get away, they would probably have a beard.  
Harvey tries to imagine the Joker and Batman with a beard, and he snickers, and calms down. What if they never manage to get out? Die here? Never be able to see Rachel again and be with his friends and achieving his dreams? Would his body be able to be found? Or would he lie here for eternity?

"Why do you think we are here?" Harvey asks the Joker as the black water of the pipes splashes around their knees, mixing with the stinking mud and god knows what else.

The Joker turns around. "Well? What the hell do you think??" Harvey continues to drag his legs around the murky liquid.

"They...they sent out this message, and..." The Joker stops and Harvey bumps him. "Whoever sent out this message must've wanted the people who are here to be here, but..." He sees no reason for anyone to do this. How strange, but oddly exciting. He has a new opponent apart from Batman, and one from the shadows, it seems. Heh, so much fun! But he is pissed oh yes he is. They'll have hell when he finds them.

-

"Who is there!" A girl's shrill voice calls out and it catches Harvey and Joker's attention immediately. To Harvey, it sounds like the voice of an angel. Harley Quinn, the red head and Rachel found them.

After being helped up by the women, they sat down on the small beach of rocks and the red head, who introduced herself as Pamela(Ivy) Isley. Ivy and Rachel and Harley hands them some bread.

"Where did'ya get these?" The Joker asks them with a mouthful of bread and Harvey nods, and the women are not even surprised at they way they worked together.

"Well, it's a long story..."


	9. Chapter 9

Days one and two (Rachel, Harley and Ivy) Part I

When the stone wall falls down, and the girls fall into total darkness, fear takes over. Fear of the darkness is in the base instincts of humans, and only people like Ivy, who is strong and protective.

"Calm down." She says to Harley and the assistant DA. Soon, their eyes became used to the dim light in the cave lick tunnel, although the endless pitch black is enough to make the bravest of person tense with caution and fear.

There was no talk. Rachel walks in between Ivy who was leading and Harley who went behind her. She feels protected, but useless. Rachel is glad that she brought her taser.

“Eh?! I think there is water?!” Harley says, and Ivy immediately looked down. Rachel admits that in their hurry to walk as fast as they can, she has managed to not notice her surroundings.

“I know.” Ivy deadpans and Harley pouts. Kneeling down on one knee, Ivy touches the water and sniffs her hand.

“What is it?” Rachel whispers. The steady source of water is a great addition to their hope of getting out of here. As watching survival shows told her that she can live without water for a much shorter time than when she can live without food.

“It’s drinkable.” Ivy replies with a smile. Her eyes glints in the dark, two bright green orbs and Rachel is reminded of the Joker. And they keep walking.

The drip drip drip of the water and it erodes her mind. Rachel thinks that the two others are not as affected as her, so she asks,

“Who are you tow, exactly?” Harley coughs at her question and covers it with a giggle.

“Eh, we...”

“She is a doctor at Arkham. I work as a botanist.” The look in her eyes tells Rachel to shut up, and in a place like this, it would be oh so easy to explain her disappearance. 

Not that she distrusts them, but she does not trust them either. Either way, her life is now in the hands of two strangers. She can only hope that they find it to be too troublesome to kill her. Her feet sinks into the bottom of the murky water and touches the bottom of the soft, slimey substance that resides on the top of the rocks.

The sensation is pleasing on her feet, but she’d rather not think about what it actually is.

“We are not going to kill you, you know?” Harley says play-fully, and Rachel smiles at her, but is still uneasy at the happy and bubbly girl.

Walking along the soft rocks, she sees Ivy halt at her tramping.

“What is-” Ivy reaches down into the water and drags out a body. A dead, rotting body. The Ivy sniffs it and Rachel thought of the water they  had just drank. 

Harley gulps and Rachel almost pukes. She feels around on the ground, and touched what feels like a hand. A sudden sensation of a hand grabbing her hand and dragging her down-

And she is drowning and she sees the faces, so many faces and they have no eyes and are screaming for help-

Water gushes through her nose and-


	10. Still Rachel, Harley and Ivy

Water gushes through her nose and eyes and she can’t breath-

Water, filthy filthy water that stank with the thick stench of death-

The liquid has gone past her eyeballs, past the optic nerves and deep, deep down, filling pass and around her brain and penetrating  her membrane until it’s filled with nothing but numb numb numb-

Her lungs is filled with the filthy saliva of death and decay. It travels through the cavities and gurgles down to her stomach and it  mixes with  the acid-

The hand stays on her wrist, firm but cold like coal, an icy chill that spreads from it’s fingertips to her skin and scalp and hair, so  delicate that she can feel every strand of her hair and ever pore of her skin. She seems to _glow_ -

The cold travels through her bones and marrows and she can trace all the bones and blood vessels in her body as they entwine  together to embrace it-

Time has slowed down impossibly and what is seconds felt like hours and she is down there for all eternity for all she knows she is  born there and she will die there and be born and die and-

This felt like catharsis-  

She is being  **reborn** -

The the feeling pulls away from her body and she is silently screaming no no no it cannot do this why why why and then she blacks  out-

Rachel begins to drift and the hand does not let go but tightened it’s grip on her wrist.

She feels like someone is pulling her up, up and up and a pair of lips is on hers and hands are pressing down onto her chest, giving  her CPR.

 

“GAH-” Rachel sits up and coughs out water in discomfort. She heaves breaths and the staunch air of the cave tasted sweeter that the fresh beach air on a tropical isle.

“T-thank you-” She hurries to Harley and Ivy. They saved her life from whatever that was and she owes them.

The she turns to the side and threw up. Rachel coughs as Harley pats her back and the water comes out.

“Thank you-” She croaks again, still dumbfounded by the experience.

“No worries!” Harley smiles, sunny and bright and genuine. “You disappeared down into the water there, for a few seconds. Thought  that we  lost ya.”

“O-oh.” She replies, not knowing what to say so she tells them about the hand and the water but not everything else because that is perfect.

They seems to guess that she is hiding something, but there is no use prying.

Harley presses the place she sees Rachel fall down into.

The doctor purses her lips and pouts.

“Strange, there is no hidden space down there at all.” Harley frowns. Both her and Ivy saw Rachel sinking down into the murky waters.

Ivy did grab her hand and drag her onto the shore, then reach down but Rachel is still not there and then a second later, she just  _floats_  up there-

So they had a breather and keeps walking, but-

“Do you hear that?” Harley whispers.

“Hear what?”

 

“The singing.”


End file.
